When I started creating Train 'Em Tasks and its products, I assumed that they would be used by people training their dogs at home or by themselves. It wasn't long before task packs, prep packs and rally/BN sign packs were being purchased by professionals in dog training. I discovered then, that Train 'Em Tasks had a legitimate place inside dog training facilities.
One rally instructor had purchased the Train 'Em Tasks AKC Rally-O Prep Pack (which has sign images/descriptions, scoring and jump height regs) to use in her Intro to Rally Obedience class. With the beginning of each class, the instructor will pick out several of the cards in the prep pack and teach the differences between the similar signs. Or, she will choose a group of signs that require similar footwork and work on those that class. She uses the prep pack for herself to review signs when she's building a course. Then she carries around the prep pack while people are working on a rally course
so she or students can read from the descriptions to clarify what each sign means when questioned about it in class.
Other trainers and facilities have purchased our full sized Rally Obedience and AKC Beginner Novice sign packs so they can offer run thru or drop in classes with courses for their customers. Another instructor uses both the full sized rally signs with the little rally task pack cards. They will pull several of the rally task cards so they get a random mix of rally exercises and then build their course from them. They don't get in a rut with using the same course maps over and over.
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| Stranger approaching carrying an object at Rob Cary's |
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Rob Cary Pet Resort in San Antonio, Texas both uses Train 'Em Task products in their classes and also sells our training task packs and grab bags in their retail store! For their classes, they use the AKC rally packs, the WCR/APDT rally packs, AKC Beginner Novice pack, CGC pack, CGCA pack, and basic obedience manners task packs. Their instructor has the students pull the task cards at random and what exercises they pull from the bags are the exercises they work on for that class.
Rob Cary Pet Resort said it was a nice way to change up their classes. On occasion, they grouped some of the task cards together to
create additional group challenges. For example, a dog and owner picked
"Walking past distraction dogs." So, the other four dogs and owners did "PLAY"
(with toys) - while the "Walking past distraction dogs" team worked on heeling around the dogs playing.
Their trainer notes each card drawn, then observes and offers critique and/or pointers to the students.
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| Leave it! at Rob Cary Pet Resort |
There have been trainers who specialize in private home settings for their clients and their dogs who have referred and/or purchased the task packs and grab bags. They find that the card packs make training on their own at home less intimidating and easier to get motivated since what they are going to work on is decided for them by the bag of cards. They have told me the bag of cards is fun for children who are involved with training their dog with their parents. Parents will let their kids pick the task cards and they stay involved with the training better. Breeders have also contacted me about using puppy training task packs as gifts for their new puppy owners. I know that isn't class room related but...hey, it will get the puppy and owner off on the right foot for training! :)
The Train 'Em Tasks in-boxes on Facebook, Etsy, and Gmail get questions on a regular basis from trainers all sorts of backgrounds. I've talked with 4-H level dog trainers, trainers who work with shelters and PTSD veterans who help train the dogs so they can be adopted out. With all of those trainers there is a place for Tasks products in their teaching environment. If Train 'Em Tasks is something that you would like to incorporate into your classes you teach or something that you would like to offer for retail sale to your customers, please feel free to contact me! I am more than happy to discuss wholesale orders with dog training facilities. I also do have a "professional trainer" coupon code on etsy. Just drop me a note and we can discuss that as well!
